Confirmation
These are quotes from our friends still left in Maiduguri. They confirm what we
are reading on the Internet about the violence and chaos being caused by the
Boko Haram who wish to implement Sharia Law in Borno State as the law of the
land. Many who have left are from different tribes in different parts of the
country and they have gone back to their villages and local governments for
safety's sake. So that leaves those who are from Borno State where Maiduguri is
their home. This includes many of our team members and friends. Truly saints, we
ask you to pray with us concerning their safety and for a resolution to this
extremely dangerous situation. Besides praying, if you can, we ask you to also
fast with us and our Nigerian brethren the third Monday of each month as we pray
for the work there and now especially about this crisis.

Renewed Crisis In Jos
Additionally, after several months of tenuous peace and cooperation, there has
been a new outbreak of killing and retaliation in the city of Jos. Here, also,
we have many friends and brothers and sisters in the Lord whose lives are in
jeopardy daily as they attempt to go about their normal routine of living just
because of their faith. Truly, we are blessed to live in the "Land of the free,
and the home of the brave", and "One Nation under God", where all are free to
worship their god as they so choose without fear of persecution by the
government or any individual or organization. At least, that's the way it is
supposed to be.

Belated Lesson
The following was sent to me by a friend last month after I had already sent out
the July Newsletter. However, I feel that it is so worth sharing that I have
included here in this month's news.

56 SignersHave you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of
Independence?

• Five were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died.
• Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned;
• Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army;
• Another had two sons captured.
• Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary
War.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred
honor.

What kind of men were they?

• Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
• Eleven were merchants,
• Nine were farmers and large plantation owners
Men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence
knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept
from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his
debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his
family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family
was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his
reward.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General
Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged
General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died
bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife,
and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children
fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more
than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead
and his children vanished.